Improvement in earth-closets



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Letters Patent No. 105,045, dated July 5, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN' EARTH-CLOSETS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same I, WILLIAM ROBERT OoLroN CLARK, of the city of New Orleans, in the State of Louisiana, have invented an Improvement in Earth-Closets, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement, as is the case of' nearly if not all improvements in earth-closets, consists of a mechanical arrangement for precipitating the deodorzing substance, as, for example, dry earth, pulverized or powdered charcoal, or the like, oneach deposit of fecal matter, in proper quantity and at the proper time, with the view of absorbing or deodorizing the hurtful and oiensive gases which exhale from human excrementand, at the same time, to reduce said fecal matter in such manner as to make its instant-application to sterile lands as a fetilizer alike convenient and without discomfort to the persons who are called upon to apply it to such purpose.

The invention is very simple, and will be at once understood, on reference being had to the accompanying drawing, whereonl it is shown in connection with an earth-closet, in which it has been introduced, by'a sectional view, the line of bisection being from the front to the rear, through the center thereof.

On the drawingf Ais the hopper in the closet,'to contain the dry earth, or other deodorizing agent employed in lieu thereof', and

B B two sections of a pipe for the conduit :of said agent from the hopper to a point which will secure its precipitation on the excreta, that are united by `what is technically called a knuckle-joint, C. This joint is so adj usted that the vibration or swing of section B' of the tube will be'toward the front and rear of the closet, within .prescribed limits.

The barrel of the knuckle-joint U has an opening, a, at its bottom side, which, when the section B otthe tube occupies a position at the extreme limit of its backward sweep, will bring it precisely over the upper end of said section, and thus permit the deodorizing substance to pass below said joint without check or interruption, whereas, when the section B is at the limit of its swing toward the front of the closet, the opening a passes 4outside the barrellof this section, in consequence of the change of the inclination of the latter, and is closed by the shell ofthe overlapping part G of the knuckle-joint, as shown on the' drawing, so that, when the section occupies this position, the flow of the deodorizing agent beyond thc said' 4joint is completely cut ofi' and stopped.

The lower extremity of the section B is closed by a hinged gate or shutter, E, which, above the point at which it is hinged, extends upwardly inthe form of a narrow curved arm, li, as shown.

The length of the section B is so regulated, and the arm F so curved, that, when the said section is at the limit of its forward sweep, the said arm is forced back by a positive contact between it and the cross-bar of the closet, to' which the cover H of the closet-seat is hinged, sufliciently to overcome the tensile force of the opening T, and opena the gate E, as seen in the drawing.

The spring G, acting on the arm F, keeps the gate E closed whenever there is no 'pressure against the said arm, and in so much as, in consequence of' the curvature ot' this arm, all pressure is taken off immediately after the section B' begins to swing back, it closes the gate before the-opening a comes over this section, and hence does not allow of any waste ofthe deodorizing agent at the time Vthis section is receiving or being lled with said agent from the hopper.

. The vibration or sweepof the section B' is effected by the opening and closing of the cover H, by a very simple mechanical arrangement.

A small rod, I, is pivoted to it, as shown -by dotted lines, and connects, by a pivot joint also, with a short rod, J, that is' firmly fastened to the cover H at right angles to the plane of the surface of the latter.

Under this arrangement the raising ofthe cover.4

gradually brings these two rods in line with one another, and consequently swings back the section B' to the extreme limit of its rearward vibration. The movement back vtakes off the pressure 'from the arm F, allows the spring G to close the gate E, brings the opening a over the section B', vand permits the deodorizing substance to How-into and ll said section.

The closing of the cover' reverses everything. It closes the opening a and stops the flow of the deodorizing agent, opens the gate by bringing thevarm F in contact with the cross-piece 'to which the cover is hinged, and empties the section B', precipitating the contents thereof on the fecal matter justdeposited.

.In swinging thcvse'ction B forward, a considerable impetus is, given to the descent of the deodorizing substance beyond what its mere gravity would superinduce, and hence vthis substance is carried and precipitated considerably i'n advance of the vertical line occupied by the lower end ormouth of the'section. This enables me to place this end ot' section B suiiiciently behind the opening K, in the' seat of' the closet, to prevent the fall -of anyv fecal matter upon it.

1f it be desired 'to dispense with the spring G, and

open lthe gate E' by positive action, a very simple,

alternative arrangement will accomplish the object. It is only necessary in such case to make the gate turn'edgewise on av pivot xedin an arm projecting horizontally from the lower extremity-of section B', 'to provide a straight arm behind the pivot, and vthen to place two `strippers. in proper position 'for this arm to strike against them, in reverse directions at the which the cover ofthe seat of. the closet is hinged points at which the gate is to be opened and shut. with the rods I and J, when all parts are connected,

What I claim is arranged, and operate substantially as herein de- 'lhe combination of a. tube, composed of vtwo secscribed, for the purpose set forth. tions, B B', that are united by a. knuckle-joint, C, and WILLIAM 4ROBERT GOLTON CLARK. provided with a gate, E, having an extended curved Witnesses: arm, F, which is operated in one direction by a s prPg H. N. JENKINS,

G, and in the other by pressure from the cross-bar, to BUFUS B. IHODES. 

